How It WorksTallahassee
How Your Countertop Installation Works
From your first call to install day, here is the whole path. Once you choose your stone, it is usually 7 to 10 days from the wooden template to install day.
Free estimates. We call back within a few hours.
Five Steps, One Person You Know
7 to 10 days from your wooden template to install day.
About 1 day for the install itself.
Fernando does every step himself. Nothing is subbed out.
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Step 1
Free Estimate and Consultation
Call or send the short form. We listen to what you want first, then give you an honest, free estimate.
What You DoTell us the room, the look you like and how you use your kitchen.
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Step 2
Choose Your Stone
Fernando guides you through choosing and tells you honestly which one fits the way you live. We help you pick what you will enjoy, not what we would like to sell.
What You DoPick the stone you love.
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Step 3
Wooden Template
Fernando comes to your home, measures every wall and corner, and builds a wooden template right on your cabinets. That template is the exact shape of your kitchen, crooked walls and all.
What You DoClear everything off your counters, and make sure your cabinets are installed and level. If you want hidden steel supports for a raised bar or a big overhang, tell us now so we can order them.
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Step 4
Cutting Your Stone
Fernando cuts your stone to match the template. It is usually 7 to 10 days from the template to install day.
What You DoSet up a plumber to hook up your sink and faucet after install day.
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Step 5
Install Day
Fernando installs your stone himself, usually in about one day. He sets every piece and mounts your sink.
What You DoHave your sink, faucet and cooktop at the house, turn off the water, and keep the air conditioning on. Then wait 24 hours before using the sink.
Why We Use Wooden Templates
Fernando builds a wooden template right on your cabinets instead of measuring with a digital tool. The template is the real shape of your kitchen, so your stone fits the walls you actually have.
Stone is cut in straight lines, and few walls are truly square. The template keeps the gaps along the wall as small as they can be. Where a wall bows, a backsplash covers the rest.
Digital is only as good as the person who programs it.
Getting Ready for Template Day
Want a rough number first? Try our countertop square footage calculator.
What Install Day Looks Like
Install usually takes about one day, and Fernando is there for all of it, with a small crew working beside him.
Before We Arrive
- Have your sink, faucet and cooktop at the house.
- Turn off the water.
- Take down bathroom mirrors and any wall art in the way.
- Move rugs, put pets away, and clear a wide path from the door.
While We Work
- Keep the air conditioning on. Carrying stone is heavy work.
- Some sink and cooktop cutouts are made in your home, which makes dust. We clean up and work to keep it contained.
- The glue and sealer can smell strong. Opening windows helps.
After We Leave
- Wait 24 hours before using your new sink, so the epoxy can dry.
- Your plumber hooks up the water. We mount the sink, but we do not connect water lines, gas or electrical.
- The smell usually fades within 24 hours.
What Happens to Your Old Countertops
We remove and haul away your old countertops. Very heavy old tops, like concrete or tile, cost extra, but that is rare. If your old tops are still in good shape, we try to donate them to groups like Big Bend Habitat for Humanity, so they do not end up in a landfill.
Taking old tops off can sometimes damage the tile, drywall or cabinets behind them, depending on how they were attached. We work carefully to keep that from happening.
Paying for Your Countertops
Your estimate is free. Ask for yours here. When it is time to pay, we take:
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
- Debit Card
We do not offer financing.
Questions About the Process
How long does installation take?
Once you have chosen your stone, it is about 7 to 10 days from the wooden template to install day. The install itself usually takes about one day.
How soon can I use my new sink?
Wait 24 hours. The epoxy that holds your sink needs a full day to dry.
Will there be dust or a smell?
Some sink and cooktop cutouts have to be made in your home, and that makes dust. We clean up and work to keep it contained, but please cover or move anything you care about nearby. The glue and sealer can smell strong, and the smell usually fades within 24 hours. Opening windows helps.
Will I see seams?
If a counter is longer than one slab, two pieces meet at a seam. Fernando places seams where the slab sizes allow and works to line up the veins, but natural stone does not always match perfectly.
Do you install backsplashes?
Yes. We install the standard 4 inch stone backsplash, and full stone backsplashes that run from the countertop up to the upper cabinets. We also install tile backsplashes. We do not do tile floors or other tile jobs.
Ready to Start With a Free Estimate?
Call and you reach a real person, not a call center. We listen first, then give you an honest, free estimate.
Monday to Friday 8 AM to 8 PM. Saturday 9 AM to 4 PM. Sunday by appointment after 2 PM.